Ben Mannes: The political malpractice of the Philadelphia Republican Party

Last week’s Democratic primary debate between District Attorney Larry Krasner and Judge Patrick Dugan was a microcosm of Philadelphia politics. 

While the two candidates starkly contrasted in their policies and approaches to crime and justice, the debate itself seemed more focused on attacking former President Donald Trump and addressing issues outside the purview of the District Attorney’s office. Questions on national immigration policy and federal tax enforcement left little room for meaningful discourse on Philadelphia’s dire crime rates, the city’s skyrocketing gun violence, or the overall competency of the DA’s office. 

What was even more glaring, however, was the absence of any viable Republican contender to challenge the eventual Democratic nominee in November.

For years, the Philadelphia Republican Party has failed to field credible candidates for major city offices, with its most notable shortcoming in the races for District Attorney and, more egregiously, Sheriff. Sheriff Rochelle Bilal’s tenure has been mired in corruption scandals, so much so that the City Council has considered abolishing the office altogether. The allegations against Bilal — including financial mismanagement, abuse of power, and overall administrative incompetence — have eroded both the reputation and functionality of the Sheriff’s Office. The situation presents a prime opportunity for the Republican Party to offer a serious alternative to voters frustrated with the city’s Democratic machine. 

Instead, the GOP’s inability — or unwillingness — to recruit qualified candidates and put money and effort behind them is setting the stage for yet another unopposed Democratic victory.

The unpopularity of both Krasner and Bilal among working-class Philadelphians mirrors the political conditions of the 1950s when the once-dominant Republican machine collapsed under the weight of its own corruption, paving the way for Democratic control of the city. Now, the pendulum could swing back — if only the Republican Party could capitalize on the moment. But success requires two essential components: strong candidates and a functioning ground game.

A Failure to Recruit Viable Candidates

In many major cities, races for District Attorney and Sheriff attract accomplished attorneys, experienced prosecutors, and former law enforcement officials eager to implement reform and restore public trust. Yet in Philadelphia, the Republican Party has seemingly done everything possible to deter young, intelligent, and ambitious conservatives from running for office.

This was most apparent in the 2023 City Council elections, when the Republicans lost both of their at-large minority seats to democratic socialists. Reports suggest that this humiliating defeat stemmed from personal grudges between party regulars and newcomer candidates. Outsiders who could have been promising contenders to breathe new life into the party did not make it onto the general election ballot. This sort of internal sabotage is emblematic of the party’s dysfunction and its refusal to prioritize winning over personal vendettas.

The list of GOP missteps doesn’t end there. The party failed to rally around Beth Grossman’s 2017 bid for District Attorney against Krasner, despite her extensive experience as a prosecutor and seemingly impossible-to-obtain endorsement from the Philadelphia Inquirer. The lack of institutional support also plagued Brian Leib’s challenge against longtime Congressman Bob Brady, even as Brady faced legal and ethical controversies, including accusations of bribing a primary opponent to drop out. 

Note that in all of these examples, there was no mention of a serious campaign for seemingly lower-cost elections for row offices like Sheriff and Register of Wills, nor a concerted effort for the Philly GOP to attack uncontested State House seats, even in the largely red areas in Northeast Philadelphia, bordering popular Rep. Martina White’s district — one exception being their almost successful effort in the 172nd House District last fall. 

Now, despite the abundant scandals surrounding both Krasner and Bilal, the Philadelphia Republican Party has yet to put forward a single viable candidate to challenge them. This failure to capitalize on Democratic weaknesses is not just political incompetence — it is political malpractice.

The Absence of a Ground Game

Even if the Philadelphia GOP miraculously produced strong candidates, winning elections requires more than just names on a ballot. It demands an organized, grassroots effort to get out the vote. Yet, in America’s sixth-largest city, the Republican Party’s ground game is virtually nonexistent.

During the last general election, the Trump campaign went around the Pennsylvania Republican Party with its own operatives to run voter outreach efforts in Philadelphia because the local GOP was deemed too dysfunctional to handle the task. Republican leaders acknowledged that they simply could not trust the city’s party apparatus to mobilize voters effectively. Without an operational infrastructure, the GOP cannot hope to push past the meager 20 percent of the vote needed in Philadelphia to offset the city’s deep-blue lean and give Republican candidates a fighting chance statewide.

While some blame a lack of funding, money is only part of the issue. The real failure is the complete absence of neighborhood-level engagement. The city has seen a wave of voter registration changes, with thousands of disaffected Democrats switching their affiliations. However, these shifts have largely been driven by grassroots activists like Scott Presler rather than any coordinated effort by the Philadelphia Republican Party. If the GOP leadership were serious about making inroads in urban communities, they would be replicating these efforts, engaging directly with voters, and making the case for conservative policies that resonate with working-class families.

The Path Forward

Recent elections have demonstrated that when Democratic strongholds fall into disarray — whether due to corruption, incompetence, or ideological infighting — Republicans have an opportunity to gain ground. But that only happens when the party itself is functional, disciplined, and willing to put in the work. Philadelphia’s Republican Party has so far proven itself to be none of these things.

If the GOP ever hopes to reclaim a foothold in the city, it must do two things: recruit serious, qualified candidates and build an actual grassroots operation. It must abandon the petty infighting that has cost it winnable elections and start investing in long-term voter outreach. Instead, a seemingly defeated conservative electorate in Philadelphia is engaging in campaigns to switch parties to get Judge Dugan through his primary against Krasner. 

It shows the frustration among Philadelphia’s working-class voters. They are looking for an alternative. But if the Republican Party continues to be more focused on internal power struggles than on winning elections, it will remain a self-serving obstacle to its own success.

The political moment is ripe for change, but change will not come from within the Democratic machine — it must come from a competent, strategic opposition. Right now, Philadelphia’s Republican Party is failing to be that opposition, and until it rectifies its course, the city will remain a one-party town.

Editor’s note: This article was updated to clarify that there were Republican nominees for the offices of sheriff and city council in 2023.

Based in Philadelphia, A. Benjamin Mannes is a consultant and subject matter expert in security and criminal justice reform based on his own experiences on both sides of the criminal justice system. He is a corporate compliance executive who has served as a federal and municipal law enforcement officer, and as the former Director, Office of Investigations with the American Board of Internal Medicine. @PublicSafetySME